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Italy Sends First Migrants to Albania Under Controversial Deal

(Bloomberg) -- An Italian naval vessel delivered the first group of asylum seekers to Albania as part of a controversial deal that raises the stakes in how European Union member states grapple with migration.

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The group of migrants rescued at sea arrived at the port of Shengjin early on Wednesday, where they’ll be processed on Albanian soil by Italian authorities for potential asylum status in Italy, according to the local port authorities. The effort to push the process out of Italian territory has been criticized by rights groups including Amnesty International.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has touted the arrangement as a potential blueprint for EU member states as she seeks to crack down on irregular migration, an issue that has polarized the region. Poland this month abruptly announced a suspension of asylum rights, while Germany has imposed border restrictions.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would assess the Italy-Albania deal as a potential option as EU leaders meet in Brussels this week for a summit, where Meloni will convene an informal meeting on the sidelines to push for tougher measures.

The facilities in Albania aren’t complete. While a reception center in the coastal city of Shengjin is ready, a housing center in a village inland remains under construction. According to the agreement, up to 36,000 migrants will be processed in Albanian territory by Italian officials a year.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who sealed the agreement with Meloni, has sought to place responsibility for the system with Rome, saying that migrants are not permitted to leave the facility.

“The construction and management of these centers have absolutely nothing to do with the Albanian government. It’s not our responsibility,” he told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

The Italian government has said women and children won’t be sent to Albania. Amnesty International has said the arrangement risks endangering the rights of those seeking amnesty, while the opposition in Tirana has derided the project as “Albania’s Guantanamo,” referring to the US naval base on the coast of Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay.